The famous Serbian performance artist, Marina Abramović, is causing quite a buzz at this year’s Glastonbury festival. Known for her daring and thought-provoking performances, Abramović is gearing up for a ‘public intervention’ at the festival that has her feeling terrified, but excited.
Back in 1974, Abramović allowed spectators to do anything they wanted to her for a grueling six hours. Now, she is taking on a new challenge in front of hundreds of thousands of festival-goers at Glastonbury. Her latest piece, titled “Seven Minutes of Collective Silence,” will call on the massive crowd to remain silent for a full seven minutes.
“I am terrified,” Abramović admitted in an interview with The Guardian. “I don’t know any visual artists who have done something like this in front of 175,000 to 200,000 people. This is really beyond anything I’ve done before.”
The performance is scheduled to start at 17:55, just before PJ Harvey’s set. Abramović sees this as an opportunity to reflect on the current state of the world and to encourage self-reflection among the audience.
“We are really facing a dark moment in human history,” she explained. “So what can be done? I always think protest brings more protest; hate brings more hate. I think it’s important to turn to your own self. It’s easy to criticize everything else, but what can I do in my own self, how can I change?”
Acknowledging that her request for silence is a “big risk,” Abramović remains determined to take it. “Failing is also important, you learn from failing as well as succeeding,” she said. “I want to see how I can go beyond the noise and distractions and touch that moment in their soul and just for seven minutes, stop everything. Can you imagine if we succeed? It will be an incredible moment.”
Despite her nerves, Abramović is ready to embrace the challenge and channel the energy of silence. “I’m not a singer, I’m there for another purpose, which is to figure out how we can create silence and reflect what is happening in the world right now and to have that kind of presence in the Pyramid stage,” she explained.
The co-organizer of Glastonbury festival, Emily Eavis, expressed her excitement for Abramović’s performance piece. “We are honored to have Marina Abramović bring such a meaningful and profound experience to Glastonbury,” Eavis said. “Her work has always pushed boundaries and inspired deep reflection, and we believe this moment of collective silence will be a memorable and impactful addition to the festival.”
